


Serendipity

by isleyren



Category: This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Children, Dom/sub, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Light Dom/sub, Reader-Insert, Single Parents, Smut, Sub Phillip Altman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:22:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29501244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isleyren/pseuds/isleyren
Summary: Phillip Altman x ReaderYou grew up in the typical suburban neighborhood, a perfect life from the outside. You had a loving family, one that you remained close to over the years. You had friends and maintained a reasonable amount of popularity throughout high school. You got accepted into the college you had dreamed about attending. But everything changed. You fell for the popular guy and ended up getting pregnant. Years later you decide to return with your small family, him still unaware of the now six year old that shares his DNA.
Relationships: Phillip Altman & You, Phillip Altman/You
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Nostalgia

You groaned as the weight of the small child flopped onto your chest.

“Mommy?” She crooned, her little face right up against yours, her brown eyes wide as she waited patiently for you to respond.

“Yes baby?” You croaked, still in the process of waking up, your mind still hazy.

“Mommy, Grayson told me that I was the last one to turn six and that made me the youngest in the grade and then he told me that made him like me more because I was the youngest and then he told me that we could be like boyfriend and girlfriend and then he kissed my cheek and said that I was now his girlfriend and—”

You placed your hand on her little cheek, silencing her as you spoke. “My little angel, it’s so early, Mommy needs to get her tea before I can listen okay?”

You smiled warmly down at her as her little face fell, but you pulled her into a kiss, reassuring her.

“Don’t worry baby, I can’t wait to hear _everything_ about your new boyfriend in a minute, but I just have to do a couple things first. Okay?” Your head tilted as you looked into her eyes, not wanting to upset her.

She nodded at you, you smiling widely at her before you spoke again.

“How about you go and grab your new coloring book, the one Nana got you for Christmas? We can draw as you tell me all about your new friend.”

You watched as her little amber eyes glisten the same way her father’s eyes did as she jumped off of you, her knee colliding with your abdomen as she hurled herself off the bed and out of the room.

You watched as she ran out of your room, an excited squeal as she slid in her socks on the hardwood. You giggled at her, sighing as her excitement bleed into you.

But you couldn’t lay there forever, you did promise to listen to all she had to tell you. You groaned as you rolled over, checking the time, groaning even louder when you realized how early she had woken you up on the weekend. That little early riser, something she definitely did not inherit from you.

You loved being a mother, you really did, but there were small aspects that you didn’t enjoy.

You loved being able to see her imagination run wild, all of the excitement and happiness that a little child could hold. You admired her for it. You loved the way she would run and play with whoever she met, never once judging them immediately. You loved how she would run to you, wanting to be held in her time of need. You loved that you could be there for her, that you were her rock.

But you hated being awoken at an early hour on your day off by her jumping on top of you. Something you had eventually learned to accept, adore almost. Something that you began to not mind as much as the years went on. All that mattered to you was that you got to create fun memories with the little girl that you cared about more than anything or anyone in this world.

Aspen was the brightest thing in your life, she was your whole existence. She was the one who motivated you to wake up every day and do the best you could. You wanted to be a good example for her, you wanted to provide her with everything she deserved.

She was your little angel. She was your light.

She was five years old now, about to turn six. Her first-grade classmates all turning seven the same year. But your little Aspen was always a fast learner, making her way to first grade at an early age. She was smart, cunning, and independent. Your little hero.

It was just you and her for most of her life. Her father was far from the picture, never even knowing she existed. Not that there was any bad blood, but he was the kind of person you didn’t think would be able to handle being a father when she was born, you were both teens when you got pregnant. You simply just wanted to create a specific life for you and her, and that didn’t include him. And that was just how you wanted it.

Plus, you didn’t want to have that extra worry of having to deal with her father. He tended to be egotistical.

When you first learned about your pregnancy, you were worried. Terrified that the guy who got you pregnant would not want anything to do with her, want you to terminate the pregnancy, or simply abandon you altogether. Not that you were against the idea, but you had an attachment to the bean sized fetus inside of you, and you knew that your parents would be there every step of the way if you decided to keep the baby.

So, you decided to not terminate the pregnancy, and decided on hiding her from the father, not wanting to have to burden another fresh high school graduate with the responsibility of raising a child, effectively secluding yourself for the summer after graduation, and then leaving to attend college.

And that was how it all happened.

You had your baby girl the following January, three days after New Year’s, in the bathtub in your parent’s bathroom.

You wanted a home birth, doing everything as naturally as possible. You cried through the whole thing, the pain almost unbearable as you screamed and attempted to stick to the breathing exercises you had been taught by the midwife your mother found. You were beyond thankful for an easy labor, well that was minus feeling every ounce of pain with no assistance of medication.

You remembered the pain, but the reward far outweighed any of that.

The first time you held your little baby in your arms, your cried, every emotion possible flooding you.

Fear, protection, ecstasy, sadness.

She was so precious in your arms, her little cries like music to your ears. Her full head of hair wasn’t a surprise to you, as her father had so much hair, the dark raven color you so adored. And her light skin matched his too, the little moles spread across her skin.

She was the mirror image of him, a small reminder that he would always be in your life, no matter how far you went, and whether he knew it or not. But you decided to not focus on that small fact as you went on with your life.

You tore yourself away from the blank stare at the clock as Aspen wandered back into your room, eyes wide and full of excitement as she climbed up on the bed again, opting to occupy the spot next to you this time.

She held out the coloring book to you, eyes focused on you as she waited.

You took it, pushing yourself up so that you could sit with your back against the headboard.

You flipped it open, finding the last picture she had worked on, admiring it before speaking.

“Can you grab the crayons bean? I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” You said as you rubbed her head, her raven locks now in disarray as she leapt off the bed, running out of your room again.

You didn’t waste time, standing up and throwing on a pair of leggings and a large sweatshirt as you made your way to the petite kitchen.

Your apartment was small, but it was perfect for the two of you. And the boyfriend who occasionally, in reality very often, slept there as well.

A small smile remained on your face as you listened to the quiet hum of the city streets that could be heard outside. You loved living in Brooklyn, it being fairly calm early on a Sunday morning.

You grabbed the tea pot, filling it up and placing it back on the stove as Aspen ran back into the room with a box of crayons.

You watched as she climbed up onto the stool, crossing her legs underneath her while she thumbed through the coloring book full of mystical creatures before choosing one and beginning to color.

You smiled as you watched her entertain herself. The mind and imagination of a child was always a wonder to you, and to watch Aspen grow and be so imaginative was something you always cherished.

You took occasional glances at her as you prepared a small and easy breakfast for the two of you. It consisted of a shake for you and a bowl of cereal for her, her favorite food as she claimed.

You sat down next to her, running your hand over the back of her hair, working out some small knots as you glanced down at her work.

“Who’s that?” You asked, pointing to the creature.

“That’s the dragon from the movie we watched last night, Mommy.” Her voice was laced with a tone of disappointment, like you should know exactly who that was.

“Oh.” You said, overexaggerating your words. “So,” You continued. “Tell me about your new friend.” You decided to circle back to the subject she had woken you up with.

She smiled up at you as she stopped her coloring, her missing tooth obvious as her grin was wide, her little dimples shining.

“His name is Grayson.” She started her brows dipping as she thought, ready to tell you the whole story. “He is six, going to turn seven only a month after I turn six, and he’s taller than me, he has blonde hair, and he’s the most popular boy in school.”

“Oh, is he?” You asked, realizing your daughter, at the age of five, was turning out to be just like you, finding the most popular boy in school to become her new boyfriend. Not surprising.

“Yeah,” She somewhat acknowledged you as she continued. “And he said that I was his favorite, and that he like that I was younger than him,”

_A great sign_. You thought as you rolled your eyes, the sarcastic comment stuck in your mind.

“And that he likes the color of my hair.”

She smiled widely again as she grabbed a chunk of her hair, showing it to you like you had never seen it before.

You mirrored her smile.

“You seem so happy bean, I’m happy for you.” You said as you pinched her cheek, shaking it a little as she tried to push you away. You only laughed as you let go.

“I am.” She said with a tone of content before turning back to her coloring book.

You remained silent as you watched her continue. Watched the focus evident in her brows as her head tilted slightly, her small fingers gripping tightly to the bright pink crayon.

She was so artistic, where that came from, you couldn’t be sure, but to see her have something that she genuinely enjoyed made you incredibly happy.

You continued to watch as you cleaned up the dishes, turning back to her. You leaned your forearms against the counter, bringing your head down to her level.

“Are you ready to see Nana and all your cousins?” You asked, deciding to bring up the important subject of your next travel plans.

She wiggled in her seat.

“Super ready, Mommy.”

“Okay,” You said as you walked around to her, pulling her off the stool. “Let’s go get packed then.”

You both stepped off to her room and began to pack.

You had decided to head home for the week, a much-needed visit to the family. Plus, Tuesday was Aspen’s birthday and even though you knew she was sad about not being able to spend her birthday with her friends from school, you knew she was so happy to go home and see her family and be able to be with the few friends her age that she had made back in your hometown.

And you needed that vacation too. You were looking forward to the week being spent with family and close friends. You hadn’t been home in several months, the longest it had been since you first moved to the city back during your freshman year of college, having gone to a college in the city. And your visits home were usually only the weekend.

But your mom and some siblings travelled out to see you, spending quality time with you and Aspen. Something you were beyond grateful for.

Your family was so supportive through the whole pregnancy and beyond. Your older sister, who had already had a couple kids, was more than happy to provide you with the old clothes and toys from her children. Your mother was always there to answer any question you had. Your father would always take care of Aspen when you needed someone to watch her.

They were your saviors.

You laughed and smiled as you helped Aspen pack, stuffing things into her princess covered suitcase, realizing just how happy you were to be able to be back with family, to be able to relax for a whole week.

A chance to get back to your roots.

-

Your eyes opened slowly as your boyfriend, Lucas, nudged you awake.

You groaned as you pushed yourself to sit properly in the seat, glancing around before you noticed where you were. You were almost there, driving through the suburban neighborhood you grew up in, the town that you had once called home.

A wave of nostalgia hit you, a realization of just how much you missed the place.

You wiped at your face, cleaning off the dried saliva that collected in your sleep as Lucas pulled into the driveway.

You slid out of the seat, stepping to the back of the car to open the trunk. You went to grab your bag, but Lucas was there already.

“I’ll grab these, you can carry in Aspen.” He said as he nodded towards the sleeping little girl that sat in the backseat, strapped into her booster seat. You gave him a small smile, leaning up to peck his cheek before stepping around, being as careful and quiet as possible as to not wake her.

You made your way to the front door, a wave of nervousness spreading through you as you watched Lucas knock. Why? You weren’t totally sure.

Within seconds, the door swung open and your mother stood there, lips spread into a wide grin as she pulled you into a hug.

“Be careful.” You whispered your warning. “She’s sleeping.”

“Oh.” You mother said as she covered her mouth, grabbing your arm to drag you inside.

She helped you place Aspen in the room that you three would be staying in, directing you back downstairs.

Once back downstairs, you dropped on the couch with a huff, Lucas following behind as your mother placed herself on the chair across from you.

“I can’t begin to explain how good it is to see you two, or three,” She motioned towards the room where Aspen slept, “Back here.”

“Mom, I am beyond happy to be back, and to be able to spend the week here, I can’t thank you enough.” You smiled sweetly at her, moving to sit up.

“Enough of that nonsense, you’re my baby girl, you deserve a free room whenever you need it.”

You felt a warmth grow in your heart as you slid into easy conversation, catching up and discussing the plans for the week, mostly consisting of birthday festivities for Aspen and catching up with family.

You weren’t sure of what exactly your mother had planned but there was one thing you did know.

This week would be an eventful one.

Whether you were prepared for it or not.

-

You groaned as your hands came up to rub your temples.

“But Mom, it would be so much easier if we just ordered a cake from the local bakery.”

“Oh, come on doll, you know how much fun it would be to make a cake!” She said as she swung her arms in the air, flour flying through the air in front of her.

Your eyes shot to Aspen as she giggled, standing on a small stool behind your mother.

“But we planned on a cake for tomorrow.”

“We’ll have a cake for Friday. Tomorrow is just family, let’s just have some fun and bake this one.” She said as she turned around to Aspen, pinching her little cheek as your daughter giggled more.

You sighed, hands on your hips as you gave in.

“Fine.” You spoke, your frustration still clear. “What do you need me to get from the store?”

Aspen and your mother’s grins were wide as they looked at you, making you internally roll your eyes as whatever ridiculous plan they had.

-

You kissed Aspen and Lucas goodbye, taking the grocery list from your mother before sliding out the door and into the car.

You didn’t need any directions, knowing your way easily around the town. It also helped that the grocery store you were headed to was the same place you got your first job. You hated that job, but it lasted you through high school, providing you with enough money to start your new life with Aspen.

You smiled as you thought of all the crazy memories you had here. The fun times you had with coworkers, the crazy pranks you would pull on your boss, and the life lessons you learned from all the experiences.

It definitely helped with your ability to deal with difficult coworkers, given that your new job was in Journalism. Dealing with difficult people while interviewing, learning new ways to get what you wanted while still coming across as sweet. It was all part of the job and you were good at it.

You pulled into the parking lot, grabbing your purse and flinging it over your shoulder before making your way into the store.

You glided through the aisles, glancing down at the list as you checked things off. You enjoyed having the paper list, a reminder of your childhood when your mother would take you grocery shopping, letting you check off each item as she collected them. And now here you were, doing the shopping all on your own, having a daughter of your own to raise and take grocery shopping. And you hoped that she would cherish those moments as she got older, just like you did.

But it wasn’t all fun and easy.

As you stepped up to the baking aisle, your eyes glanced over the array of different flours, not knowing which would be correct. The list only said flour, not what kind of flour or that it even mattered. And you weren’t the best baker, so you were utterly clueless when it came to things like this.

You grumbled to yourself as you reached in your back pocket, pulling out your phone and typing in your mother’s number. But before you could hit the call button, a familiar voice sounded from behind you.

You spun around so fast that it would have made anyone else dizzy, but your mind was too preoccupied to register if you had gotten dizzy, because if you had, it was nothing compared to the pure panic and shock that ran through your blood at the man standing before you.

There he stood, hands shoved in his pockets as he eyed the array of flour options behind you.

You took a moment to take him in. The navy-blue shirt that tugged at his chest, the leather jacket that hung beautifully off his shoulders, the dark jeans that hugged his toned legs. The dark ebony hair that was just as silky and smooth as you remembered. The beautiful nose. The plush red lips. The moles that were scattered in a stunning pattern across his porcelain skin. The amber eyes that somehow were always able to pierce into your soul, to burn your skin.

All of the features that matched your daughter perfectly.

All the features that you watched every day, reminding you of the exact man that stood in front of you now.

The man that haunted you, the man that you never expected to see.

The man that broke your heart after he got you pregnant.

The man who had no idea that he had an offspring in this world. And offspring that happened to be in this same town.

The man that you used to dream about, and sometimes still did.

And before you could start to cry from whatever emotion pulled at your heartstrings, you murmured his name in disbelief.

“Phillip?”


	2. Sweet Thing

You were blindsided, shocked, confused. You knew there was a small chance you would run into Phillip eventually, but you had assumed that he would be gone in some big city living the typical bachelor life. Now standing in front of you at the small grocery store in your hometown.

“Phillip?”

“Hey.” He said your name softly with a small smile, giving you a wicked wink.

You stood in silence, your mind still trying to rationalize him standing in front of you. How could this be happening? Was it even real? Or was it your mind playing a cruel trick on you? But before your mind would wander any further, he broke the silence, your mind having to halt in its process.

“Need help?” He motioned towards the rows of flour behind you.

“Oh.” You spun around, your back now towards him. “Um, maybe.” You shrugged, your head reeling from the sudden change in your thought process. “I just need a good all-purpose flour.” You said as you motioned towards the array of options in front of you.

You felt the heat emanating from him as he moved to stand beside you, the softness of the leather that covered his arm glided against you, sending a small shiver up your spine.

You hadn’t seen him in over six years and he still caused such an intense reaction in you, your body overtaking your mind.

You shook your head, you really needed to get your shit together.

“I didn’t think you would be the one to know anything about flour or baking in general.” You questioned him.

That low laugh that always made your extremities tingle rose from his throat as he continued to glance at the rows of flour.

“You’d be right.” He started. “I only know the kind of flour my mom uses. I guess it’s great for, um.” He motioned with his hand, his brows furrowing as he thought. “Several things like cake, pancakes, pie crust, all that shit.” He shrugged as he reached out, grabbing a bag and then handing it to you. “This one should do.”

“Thank you.” You said, glancing down at the bag of flour you now held in your hand. It was weird having him help you like this. To see him as a real adult. To see him as anything other than that egotistical teenage boy that you had strong feelings for.

You looked back up to him, your eyes meeting his. You felt your body come alive and relax all at once.

You hadn’t really left things off great when you left, and you had both been barely adults back then. It was different, thrilling, terrifying, to see him now, all these years later. He really looked like a man. He looked like he had grown up well, still the living the bachelor life as you had expected but it appeared that he had done well for himself. His hair was the same length as you remembered, flowing down in those silky waves you once adored. He now had facial hair too, it fitting his face well. You weren’t normally someone who liked facial hair, but this you couldn’t help but admit was causing some very pleasant and unwholesome thoughts.

A rush of desire flew through you. A desire to get to know him again. A desire to tell him the truth. A desire to simply be with him. And maybe more.

But you knew that would never work. Knew that he would only break your heart again. No matter how much you wanted him to be yours once again. How much you craved having that perfect little family with him, him finally taking on the role of father that nature chose for him.

And now here he was, acting like it never happened. Acting like you were best buds.

Like he hadn’t told you that you were just a warm body to him.

“What’s the flour for anyway?” He asked, tearing you out of your spiraling thoughts.

“Oh, it’s um, it’s for my—” You stopped yourself, stopping yourself from revealing the most important and biggest part of your life to him.

It most likely didn’t matter if you told him you had a daughter now, but there was something deep inside of you that was holding you back. A worry that told you that he would immediately know it was his kid if you spilled. That he would read your mind and know you were hiding something from him.

Maybe it was just your paranoia, maybe you were just overthinking as you usually did. But something still ate at your insides, telling you that you shouldn’t be telling him so much.

“For your…” He motioned for you to continue.

“Sorry.” You mumbled out. “It’s, um, it’s my kid’s birthday tomorrow, my mom is making a cake with her.” Your words were low, your head hung, your body stiff and still as you spoke. Was this a good idea? You guessed you would just have to find out.

“Your kid?” He asked, a mix of excitement and wonder in his tone. His eyes were wide as he looked down at you, waiting for you to continue.

“Yeah.” You nodded, glancing back up at him. “I have a daughter.” A smile spread across your face as the mention of Aspen. Your mood could so easily be changed by her. Your light.

“You have a daughter?” His eyes were shining as he looked down at you. “Damn, you’re all grown up I guess.” He said as he lightly punched your arm.

Okay maybe he still was an immature teen at heart.

“Yeah.” You let out a small laugh. “Sometimes it’s weird to look back and realize that I’m actually a mother.” A pause. “Sometimes I still feel like a kid myself, not like I should be raising one.” Your head fell.

“Oh come on.” His hand rested on your shoulder, his large hand consuming it. “You’ve always been the most mature person I know.” A smile pulled at the edge of his lips. “I know you’re an amazing mother.”

Well shit. He always had a way with words. And for him to complement your parenting skills, well that made you warm inside, and not only warm in your heart.

“Thanks.” You said somewhat sarcastically.

“What’s her name?” He asked, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Aspen.” You said with a smile.

His eyes flashed with happiness as he listened to you. “Beautiful name.” Was all he said.

“Thanks, she’s named after the city that caught my heart.”

“Oh, and how was that?”

“It’s where I found my love for journalism.”

“So, you like to write?” He asked.

“Yes, actually. I’m a journalist, it’s my degree, but now I work higher up in the company, having to deal with the journalist and the people we interview, and all that. It helps support me and Aspen, and that’s all that matters to me.” You stopped before you spilled more about your life, not wanting to share too much, even if he was making you feel so comfortable, like you could tell him whatever you wanted.

But he didn’t seem to mind, maybe even interested. That was until he steered the conversation back to your daughter. Why he was so interested in her, you couldn’t be sure.

“So, I have to ask, I’m assuming you have a lovely guy?” He bent down and whispered his next words. “You know, since it usually takes two to make another human.” A knowing wink.

You tried hard not to roll your eyes at him, failing epically.

“Yes, but no.” You said as you turned, tossing the flour into the grocery cart as you began to walk down the aisle again, Phillip following behind.

“So cryptic.” He pinched at the back of your arm. You pulled your arm away, mouthing an exaggerate _ow_ as you glared at him.

Yeah, he was a child.

“Yes, because I have a serious boyfriend.” You continued on. “No, because he isn’t her father.”

You felt Phillip pause behind you. You turned, glaring at him. “Spill the thoughts, Phillip.”

His eyes were mischievous as they looked upon you, a wave of worry spilling over and nearly consuming you. That was until he spoke.

“Some rando knocked you up?” A smile spread across his face as his eyes continued to bore into you. He let out a ridiculous laugh. “Not what I expected from you.”

Another eye roll.

“Sorry to surprise you.” You turned and began to walk again. “But I went away to college, lived a different life than back here.”

“I can tell.” He said as his pace slowed down, his long strides easily overtaking yours.

“What have you been up to? I haven’t seen you in years.” You decided to change the subject before it got too weird and obvious.

“I’ve been doing lots of things. I actually moved away after high school too.”

“Oh really? That’s cool!” You smiled as you stopped at the cash register, beginning to take all your groceries out of the cart.

“Yeah.” His hand waved as he stepped out of your way, talking as he watched you. “I have a girlfriend now, I live with her, it’s getting pretty serious.”

You glanced up at him, noticing the way that his eyes sparkled as he spoke about her. You were happy for him, you really were, but you couldn’t help the tinge of jealousy that bite at your heart.

“Phillip Altman with a serious girlfriend?” You teased at him. “I must be imagining things.”

He laughed in response. “I know, I know.” He said as he leaned against the edge of the register counter. “But I think I might ask her to marry me.”

You swallowed harshly. How could Phillip manage to get married before you? Or maybe it was just that nagging desire to have some kind of closure and not this odd comfort between the two of you, something you didn’t expect but readily welcomed after so many years.

“Wow.” You managed to push out through your suddenly dry throat.

“Yeah, I know. None of my family was expecting it either, but I guess players find the one eventually too.” He let out a huff of air, mimicking a laugh, almost in disbelief at his own words.

“Well, I’m happy for you.” You stopped before stepping away after paying for your groceries. “You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks sweet thing.”

That name. The name he always called you. Your body froze as you looked up at him. That name, him calling you that, brought back all the memories you tried to repress. The way he treated you, made you feel so good, made you feel worthy of love. And you fell for his games, his ways. You should have known better, but your young heart was vulnerable, desperate. And he was there, the one showing you affection, giving you attention.

And you fell for him. Hard. But he didn’t return the sentiment. Leaving you hanging and heartbroken.

And now here you were, talking with him, pretending like nothing had happened. Catching up like it hadn’t been over seven years since you had seen him. Acting like nothing ever happened between the two of you. Forgetting how you disappeared after high school. Opting to not mention the difficult way you two left things. No closure.

Your now clear mind helped you realize how odd this was. How it shouldn’t have been so natural to fall back into conversation with him. That it shouldn’t have felt like you were old friends. How you two weren’t friends.

You stood that way as he looked down at you confused, before you managed to pull yourself out.

“Um, I have to go.” You spun around, making your way out of the store and back towards your car.

But he didn’t let you go that easily. He ran behind you, grabbing your arm to stop you.

“What’s wrong, are you okay?” His brows were furrowed in concern, his warm eyes dancing across your face.

“Yeah.” You tried to make it come off as you were in a hurry, which you were but not for the reasons he suspected. “I just have to get home, busy week.”

“We should catch up some more, I’ll take you out to lunch sometime, does tomorrow sound okay?”

You wanted to. You really did. But you knew it wasn’t a good idea. Despite your need for closure, for answers, to run back into Phillip’s arms, your pushed against it.

“Phillip, I really have to go.”

He said your name in pleading. “Please. I’d love to catch up.”

You spun around, giving him the best smile you could muster up. “I’ll see you around.”

And then you turned. Leaving Phillip standing at the entrance of the store, dumbfounded and confused.

After placing your groceries in the trunk, you dropped down into the driver’s seat.

You stared at the wheel, your vision blurring as you zoned out, taking in everything that just happened.

Phillip Altman acted like your friend again. He made you feel like everything was alright, that nothing had gone wrong. He made you feel happy and warm again. And, of course, that stupid idiot made you want to pin him down and suck him off. Or maybe that was just because you hadn’t had good sex, nothing like it was with him, in a long time.

You let out a shocked laugh.

How could he go and do that? Make you let your guard down again. Make you feel safe again. Make you want to forgive him. But you knew you couldn’t. Knew you had a whole other life that Phillip had no part in.

But it all felt too much. Too soon. Too real.

You head fell as your shoulder shook. A loud cry fell from your lips as your hand gripped tighter on the steering wheel.

All your emotions were spilling out, coming up from your chest and falling over past the threshold of your eyelids. Sobs causing your body to shake as your head hung low.

You missed him. You missed the life you could have had if you had stayed. Missed being here with family.

You had dreamed about what it could have been like if he didn’t break your heart. If he had known that you were having his child. If you would have been a small family. Even if it was rough, you would have loved each other. You would have been happy. You would have been content.

But you weren’t. He broke your heart and now you had a beautiful daughter and a loving boyfriend. He had a girlfriend, a soon to be fiancé. You had completely different lives. You didn’t need each other anymore, even if you wanted him, desired him.

Even if Phillip Altman was the love of your life.

-

You grabbed the few bags from the back of your car, still feeling drained from your interaction with Phillip.

You slid in quietly, glancing around the silent home as you made your way to the kitchen.

“Hey mom.” You greeted your mother as you set the groceries down. “Where is everyone?”

“Well,” She started as she kept making whatever she had planned for dinner. “Aspen fell asleep, Lucas went out to get something for me, and all of your siblings are back at their own homes, and your little brother’s plane has yet to get in.”

You smiled at the spilling of information your mother just provided you with. It was more than you had expected or asked for, but you loved being informed.

She spun around to you, her head tilting as her expression showed confusion, worry.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

You clenched your jaw, hoping that you could hide how you were feeling. But you knew your mother. You knew that she could read you like a book. She was always good at that. Easily understanding just how you were feeling, you not even needing to even say a single word. But you weren’t sure if you were up for that kind of conversation right now.

But you sucked it up. You needed to talk it through, and there was no one better than your mother.

“I ran into Phillip.”

“You what?” She sounded shocked, confused. She dropped what she was doing and walked up to you. “Are you okay? What happened? Did he say something stupid? I should have expected that, he never knows how to keep his mouth shut, always messing even little things up.”

“Mom, mom, stop.” You interrupted her. “No need to go on the defensive. Phillip isn’t a terrible person, I swear to you. He may have done some not great things in his live, but don’t shit on him like that.”

“Well, he broke my baby’s heart, I think I have a right to be mad.”

You laughed at her. You understood her sentiment, having a daughter of your own. But you still felt the need to defend him.

“You right, I’m sorry, I just, it was weird.”

“Weird how?” She propped her hip against the kitchen counter, her other hand placed on her hip.

“Well,” You began. “I was shocked, scared at first, but then we fell into easy conversation. It felt like, like we were close friends, like nothing every happened. It was so nice, it felt so natural, made me forget about how he made me feel right before I left.” You didn’t even notice the smile spreading across your face at the idea.

“That stupid idea of the three of us being a small family even came back for a moment.” You paused, thinking about what Phillip would be like as a loving father to Aspen. “He’s so mature now, still that immature spirit, but he’s planning on proposing to his girlfriend, who would have thought.” You laughed.

“But.” You glanced up at you mother, her eyes serious as she listened. “But then I realized how stupid I was being. There’s too much history there to be friends, to be okay. I thought seven years would help my heartbreak but seeing him only made it worse.”

“It’s okay sweety.” She pulled you in for a hug. “It’s all going to be okay.” She whispered into your hair.

You pulled away, wiping away the few tears that fell down your cheek. “Plus, I have Lucas and Aspen. We’re a happy little family. I don’t need anything more than that. I love my life, I really do.” More tears fell.

She pulled you back into a hug, holding you tighter this time.

“It’s okay baby, I got you.”

Your hands gripped tightly at her shirt as you cried for the second time within the hour. As you let your emotions pour out of you and onto your mother’s shoulder.

“It’ll all be okay.” She repeated as her hand ran over your hair, soothing you.

And you hoped it would. You needed everything to be okay.

But deep down, you had a feeling that this week would be the best and worst of your life.


	3. Fantasy

“Where do you want these?” Your older sister held up the pink and princess covered plastic cups, a waiting look on her face.

“Over there.” You said mindlessly as you pointed towards the corner of the table full of plastic and paperware, all decorated with the theme that Aspen has chosen for her part.

Disney Princesses and Princes. That’s what she had chosen. She had a love for anything Disney and you were more than happy to indulge. Especially on her sixth birthday, the one she couldn’t spend back in the city she grew up in.

But you were glad that she was happy, her big smile glued to her face for most of the week.

At the beginning of the week, the rest of the family got there. Your older brother and sister arriving first, along with their own families.

Amelia, or as you called her, Amy. Your sister had her two young children, sons, one being four, the other two. Her husband the stay-at-home dad, overprotective, and somewhat rude.

Rowan. Your older brother, the oldest in the family, and the one you were closest to. His wife, your sister-in-law, had become one of your closest friends, your children close to the same age.

It was a relief to you to be able to be with your family on Aspen’s birthday. To be able to watch her play with her cousins. To catch up with your siblings. To feel at home once again. To feel like a kid still living at home. The adult life stresses not something that consumed your mind.

And you got the chance to really be with them throughout the week. A small family reunion of sorts.

“Mommy!” Aspen called and she ran up to you, wrapping her small arms around your thigh.

“Hi baby.” You smiled down at her, grabbing a towel to dry off your hands.

“She decided on Prince Eric. Says he’s her favorite.” Your younger brother said as he stopped, placing his hands on his hips as he looked happily down at your daughter.

Theo. Your younger brother, the baby of the family. He was still single, a real gentleman, but the kind to prefer the life of a bachelor. He reminded you of Phillip in a way.

You glanced down at your daughter, smiling widely as you took in her outfit. Her ebony hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. She had a bulky white shirt on, probably one that belonged to your brother from years back, the size consuming her. And then she had on brown pants with matching brown boots. She looked adorable and perfectly happy.

“You like it Mommy?” She asked, her eyes wide.

“I love it baby.” You knelt down, kissing the top of her head. “Now your friends will be here soon, go out back and get ready to greet them, okay?”

She didn’t respond verbally before she was running away, making her way out to the backyard, it already set up and decorated for the party.

“Don’t run through the house!” You yelled out to her, but she was too fast for you, the loud slam of the door shutting echoing through the house.

You sighed as you looked back over to your brother. “You just gonna stand there or are you planning on helping me set out all the food?”

He laughed as he stepped up to help. You handed him the plate of cookies, directing him where to set them as you followed him with the variety of cartoon character shaped crackers.

“Where should the cake go?” He asked, his eyes glancing over the table.

“I saved a spot for the cake stand.” You said as you stepped away again. Your eyes grew wide, your panic rising as you looked around the kitchen, the cake not in sight. “Amy!” You yelled, turning to find your sister. “Amy, where’s the cake.”

“Should be in the kitchen.” She said as she shrugged.

“Well, it’s not.” You said sternly.

“Go ask John.” Her husband. “He was the one who was supposed to pick it up this morning.”

You huffed out an annoyed sound as you spun around. Today was going so well, if the cake was missing then that would simply ruin the whole day. You didn’t want to let Aspen down like that.

“John!” You yelled at your brother-in-law. “Where’s the fricking cake?” You had to watch your mouth. You didn’t want Aspen nor your nephews to pick up bad language from you.

“What cake?” He said before he turned back to his eldest son, scolding him for jumping off halfway down the slide. He was _very_ overprotective.

“I don’t know.” You waved your arms dramatically in the air. “That cake for my daughter’s birthday maybe?”

“I thought Theo was supposed to pick it up?”

“I swear to god.” You mumbled as you spun around.

You threw the door open, storming inside as you walked back to where you knew Theo was. He was glancing down at his phone, giggling like a little schoolgirl as you stepped back in. But before you could question what person he was talking to now, you snatched the phone from his hand.

“Did John as you to pick up the cake?”

He reached out, grabbing for his phone as he grumbled at you.

“Answer the fucking question, Theo.”

“I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember? Or no?” You pulled the phone behind you as he kept reaching for it. “Answer me, Theo.”

“Fine.” He dropped his arm. “I think he said something about going to pick it up, but I can’t remember exactly what he said.”

You rolled your eyes. Of course. Theo was usually good at helping out, he was a responsible person, but every once in a while, he would be too caught up in whatever new girl or guy he wanted to play around with.

“Shit.” You mumbled as you stepped away.

“What?” He asked as he followed behind you.

“I don’t think anyone picked the cake up.” You started as you pulled your phone out of your pocket, searching for the number of the bakery. “I have to call and then go pick it up.” You held the phone up to your ear as you grabbed your coat, reaching for the front door.

“Here, let me go, I can help.”

“No.” You stopped him. “Whether or not she says it, you’re Aspen’s favorite family member. If I’m not here, you need to be.”

You didn’t take the time to notice the ego boost evident on his face as you heart the phone stop ringing, someone on the other line speaking.

“Hi.” You said your name, explaining the situation. You thanked the woman on the other end, gracious that they still had the cake, it ready for you to pick it. You felt a weight being lifted off your shoulders as you hung up the phone.

“I’ll be back soon, make sure Aspen is alright until I get back, okay?” You gave a warning glare to Theo. He nodded in response before you both turned, him heading to the backyard, you reaching for the door.

As soon as you swung the door open, you stopped in your tracks.

None other than Phillip Altman was standing right in front of you.

Your brows furrowed in confusion, Phillip’s smile widening as he took you in.

Oh, this wasn’t going to turn out good.

“What are _you_ doing here?” You questioned him.

Before he could respond, his older sister, Wendy, pushed past him, barely taking the time to greet you as her son pulled her through the threshold and into the house.

“They’re out back!” You yelled out to her, her hand coming up to thank you, her head turning to give you an apologetic smile.

“You didn’t tell me that Wendy had kids.”

He shrugged. “Never came up.”

“So, I’m assuming you got dragged into this last minute?” You questioned, stepping out of the door and past him.

“Yeah.” He said, a questioning tone barely noticeable. He didn’t say anything for a moment as he watched you. “Where are you going?”

“My brother forgot to pick up the cake, so I have to go get it.”

“Here.” Phillip followed you down the front steps. “Let me go with you.”

“That’s okay.” You tried to shrug him off.

“No, seriously, I can drive you. Then you can hold the cake as I drive back, making sure nothing happens to it.”

You paused, thinking. He was right, you didn’t want anything bad to happen. That would just push you over the edge for the day. So you decided to give in. “Fine.”

You held back your eye roll as he smiled wickedly at you.

And before either of you could step away, Lucas stepped out of the front door. “Hey babe, where are you going?” He yelled towards you.

“I have to go pick up the cake!” You yelled back.

You watched as Lucas gave Phillip a once over. It made sense. He had never met Phillip and now here you were, his girlfriend, stepping away with another strange man.

“Shit, sorry. Lucas this is Phillip, Phillip meet my boyfriend Lucas.” You cringed at the word boyfriend. It sounded so childish to you, especially with how serious you and Lucas’s relationship was.

You watched as Phillip stepped up, shaking hands a little too aggressively with Lucas, both of them clearly trying to assert dominance over the other.

You reached out and grabbed Phillip’s arm, almost freezing as you felt the strong muscles flex underneath his jacket. He was much bigger than Lucas, and it made a small shiver thread up your spine. But you didn’t have time for that. You needed to get the cake for Aspen.

“Let’s go.” You told Phillip, then turning to Lucas. “We’ll be back soon, Theo is with Aspen, I love you.” You smiled as you spun around, finally dropping Phillip’s arm, your hand stretching out as you gritted your teeth.

Phillip stepped in front of you, directing you to his car. You stopped in your place as you looked on in disbelief.

“A Porsche?” You questioned.

“What?” He said as he stepped up to the driver’s side door.

“You have a Porsche?” You glanced up at him.

“And?” He gave you a small smirk.

“I just…” You paused. “I just didn’t expect you to _actually_ get one. You seem like the person to have one, just didn’t think you would actually ever get one.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You simply shrugged as you finally stepped up to the car. You opened the door, nearly hitting your head on the car as you slid in.

“Small car.” For such a big guy. But you decided not to voice the second part.

He only let out a small huff of amusement before he took off.

“Geez, be careful Altman.” You laughed, trying to calm yourself down.

“Sorry.” You could hear the smile in his words.

Once you were at a steady speed, after calming yourself down, you both were able to fall into easy conversation.

“No, no, she does this thing where she just continues to talk, despite anyone else trying to interrupt her.” You said laughing as you talked about Aspen. “She just word vomits all she wants, never slowing down.” You sighed as your laughing calmed down. “A trait she gets from her father.” You bit the inside of your cheek, hoping that wasn’t too much information.

“Sounds like me.”

Your heartbeat increased drastically, but with once glance over at him, you knew he didn’t suspect a thing.

“Anyway.” You decided to change the subject. “Thanks for the help.” A pause. “With the cake.”

“Of course.” He smiled over at you before shifting his eyes back to the road.

“So why did you come with Wendy?” You asked.

“Her asshole of a husband had some stupid business thing he had to leave for.” He sounded somewhat annoyed. Made sense. You weren’t the biggest fan of your brother-in-law either.

“Well, it’s nice to see you helping your sister out. Kids can be so hard.” You sighed as you lifted your arms up, your elbow on the door as your head rested on your closed fist.

“Yeah.” He murmured. “Kids are fun though, plus I can be the fun uncle to them, much more fun than Judd or Paul.”

You smiled at his words. “You seem like the super fun uncle.” You poked his arm with your finger.

“You bet your ass I am.” He laughed as he finally pulled into the parking lot of the bakery.

As soon as he parked you hopped out, leaning down to speak to him. “Just stay here, I’ll be back in like two seconds.”

He smiled and nodded at you before you slammed the door shut. You smiled as you walked in, perfectly content and happy as you thought about how easy it was to just sit and talk to Phillip. Maybe there was a chance for you two to just be friends. Maybe he could even be a real father to your daughter. There were many other people you know that weren’t married to the other parent of their child, still having a reasonable friendship.

Or maybe you were just grateful for the help. You really weren’t in the best state of mind to make a judgment like that right now.

Getting the cake was smooth, easy. The staff was super helpful, the girl you spoke to on the phone being so sweet. It was a breath of fresh air.

You stepped back into the parking lot, being as careful as possible. You stepped back up to Phillip’s car, struggling to open the door. After the third attempt you watched as Phillip easily reached across the car, popping the door open for you.

You thanked him as you dropped back down into the seat. You reached out shutting the door and then settled in, the cake placed gently on your lap.

“Please don’t drive too fast or recklessly. I have a cake and a child to stay alive for.”

He laughed as he pulled out of the parking spot, being a much safer driver on the way back.

The drive home was more silent then on the way there. But it wasn’t awkward by any means. It was the farthest from awkward. A comfortable silence as you focused on the cake and Phillip focused on driving.

As soon as you got back, Phillip hopped out, being a gentleman as he opened your door for you, taking the cake so that you could get out of the car without dropping it.

“Thank you.” You murmured as you took the cake back, making your way back to the house.

Phillip followed behind you as you stepped in the house, him helping you place the cake on the stand and then on the table.

You sighed after you placed it down, your hands landing on your hips.

You heard him laugh, causing you to glance over at him. “What?”

“Nothing.” A smile still stuck on his face. “I love it, and the theme, oh the theme is adorable.”

You huffed out a sound of amusement. “Wait until you see Aspen’s costume she’s decided to wear.”

“Oh?” He asked, turning to you.

“She wanted to be Prince Eric, from the Little Mermaid.” You began to explain. “It’s her favorite character and Theo helped her get the costume together, which happened to include one of his shirts from when he was a kid. My mom is sentimental, she kept a lot.”

“I can’t wait to see.” He smiled down at you.

“She’s out back, where I think everyone else is, maybe we—”

But you were cut off by the ear shattering scream of your daughter. But before you could be concerned about something terrible happening, she came barreling into the kitchen, Theo chasing her and Amy’s two sons.

“Theo.” You said as you reached out to him. “Slow down. I can’t have a disaster with the food.”

He stopped, still eyeing the kids as they ran around the open layout of the house. “Sorry sis.” His chest was rising and falling dramatically, trying to calm his breath after running around. “Oh shit, hey Phillip.”

“Hey Theo, what’s up man?” They two men embraced the other. An odd sight for you. You had known that Phillip and Theo were somewhat of friends, mostly Theo admiring Phillip and wanting to be like him. But to see them actually hug for some reason felt weird for you.

“You two…” You motioned between the two. “Friends?”

“Yeah.” Theo responded. “Lots of things happened while you were gone.” Theo smiled before Aspen ran back into the room, colliding with your legs.

“Mommy, come play.” She asked.

“Not now sweety, Mommy needs to finish a few things up, then I’ll come play, okay?” You ran your hand over her hair, soothing out the small hairs that stuck up from her play.

“But Mommy, please.” She whined out.

“Not yet bean.” You said, leaning down, kissing the top of her head.

She pouted up at you, but then her eyes were caught on something above you. You followed her gaze up to Phillip.

Theo had already walked out of the room, following after the two young boys.

You watched as Phillip kneeled down next to you, his eyes soft, a smile ghosting over his lips as he looked at Aspen.

Seeing the two of them together was beginning to overwhelm you. The similarities. The way Aspen looked so much like him. The small mannerisms that she inherited from him. It was beginning to make you feel nostalgic, wishing that this could be reality, that this could be your family.

But you were torn from your thoughts as Lucas walked in.

“Hey babe.” He said as he leaned down, kissing the top of your head before grabbing a handful of crackers before stepping out again. Effectively ruining the small bit of hope you had.

You were with Lucas. Phillip didn’t know Aspen was his daughter. Your life was much more complicated than you desired. But it was your life, and you went with the flow of it.

You stood up, leaving Phillip and Aspen to talk.

When you were done straightening a few things up, you walked back up to them, pausing as you couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corner of your lips as you watched them interact.

Aspen as her small hand wrapped around one of Phillip’s fingers, his hand dwarfing hers, as she spoke.

“Yeah, I like Grayson I guess, but there’s this other boy here that I like better, so I decided to forget about Grayson because he was kind of weird anyway, plus I don’t really need him, this other boy is much nicer and cooler than him.”

It was endearing to you to see how open she was, how comfortable she was with other people. You hoped one day it would lead to being a very social person, a good people person, just like Phillip.

Wow. You really needed to stop thinking so much about Aspen being like Phillip. It was causing that stupid little fantasy in your mind to go wild with ideas. Ideas that you knew could never be reality.

“Why is your hand so much bigger than mine?” She stopped her other trail of mind to look down at his hand.

“I’ve had more time to grow than you.” He smiled up at her, now sitting on the floor in front of her.

“That’s not fair.”

“Don’t worry angel, you’ll get there one day.”

Her eyes lit up, her expression full of excitement as she looked at him, his eyes glistening with the same excitement.

“I’ll be as big as you?”

He laughed, as did you. “Maybe not as big as me, but you’ll get bigger, I promise.” He gave her a wink, smiling widely.

The interaction was adorable, but what really caught your attention was the way they both looked. Aspen was bouncing between her feet, hands grasped tightly on his. She was giggling at him, talking about anything and everything. She was comfortable with people, but this felt different.

Phillip looked so mature as he interacted with her. His eyes were full of happiness, emanating joy. He looked like he was having the time of his life. The ridiculous grin never left his face as he talked with her, laughed with her.

“Oh shit.” You heard him mumble as suddenly she was running away, pulling him with her, making him nearly fall on his face.

“Be careful!” You shot after her.

And you laughed as you watched him turn around, his shoulders shrugging as he gave you a confused look, but he willingly followed after her.

And all you could think about was that maybe it was a mistake not telling Phillip. Maybe he would be a great father.


End file.
